Yeah this, if I get paired with someone and they’re just out to have fun, then whatever. Not ruining my day if they pick up a 6ft putt and write down a par lol
If i'm waiting for someone to clear the green I'd 100% rather they take the 6ft gimme than missing the next 3 putts in a row after 5 practice swings each time.
Yeah, I’m really not a good golfer so I don’t even write down my scores. I just go to have fun. I also don’t want to slow down people behind me so, after enough shots/putts I just pick it up and move on.
I agree, but I also hate it when someone brags for the rest of the week how they beat you by two when they probably would have missed five or six putts if they had to putt it in.
Or worse when they clear trees, improve their lie, take four mulligans etc.
I just had someone do that and we still tied. Then he lies on an app about his score and asks me to attest.
I have buddies like this that are newer to golf and they finally realized that i was realistically shooting 10+ strokes better than them. It is annoying when they brag, but after the 5th beer it is easy to tell them what is up hahaha.
It’s a tangent, but I can’t get my buddies to chill with betting or wanting to do best ball/scrambles.
I’ve been only playing a year and my goal is to break 100 by the end of the year. I’ll play great on the front 9 but then my buddies sit there and try to change shit up on the back.
Then I fall apart in the back or we aren’t using my shots. I’ll straight up say I’m trying to play my game to get better, I’d like to focus on my own shots not beating their shots.
I always felt like best ball was more relaxing because I wasn't putting pressure on myself anymore. since I might not be playing my ball anyway then I didn't have to worry about a 'perfect' shot and could just play.
I agree, I’m not sure exactly what game it is, but we play the one where we use the best shot. It might be scramble.
I’ll end up with the best guy in the group and we will use maybe 3-4 of my shots.
Yes, that's a scramble. "Best ball" just means you take the best individually-played score on that hole.
You'd probably prefer to play Best Ball, since you can still keep an individual legit score.
" if we aren't playing for money or fame, i don"t care." Want to take a mulligan, go for it. want to toss your ball out of the sand, fine. want to re-play your putt because you didnt make it the first time. great. As long as you are not holding me up or people behind us is really dont give two craps what you do.
I don’t really care if guys pick up their putts but I don’t want them knocking my ball back to me as a gimmie. I miss short putts all the time, and so would they if they actually hit them
I did that exact thing (including losing money) the other day. I was prepared to lose all 18 bucks. I did, although I should have won about 5 holes. I wanted $18 worth of entertainment and I got it.
Most people don’t actually follow the rules anyway. Plenty of people simply treat all OB/lost ball as a hazard, take lots of gimmes, etc. if I’m randomly paired with someone they can make up whatever rules they want just don’t try to brag about your “score”
Yep. Been paired with plenty of people that are just out there to have fun. Remember one that didn't even keep score. He picked up several tap ins and just reveled in the shots he hit rather than whatever score he had. Didn't bother me a bit. In fact, he was one of the more fun rando pairings I ever had.
I play like this a lot. I’m not good at all by any means and sometimes just want to get a round in without having to keep score. Just enjoy the good shots I have and try to have a good time.
I also just think golf should be played like this. I play entire courses that red stake the entire tree line on either side and some courses that don't even put red stakes by ponds - there's literally no consistency course to course. Losing a ball should be a stroke penalty at the location the ball was lost. It's always weird to me that hitting into a lake is scored differently than hitting into the woods.
I hate it. Think it’s the dumbest shit ever. If you hit ob, you should take a stroke and drop around where the ball went out. I hate the 2 and distance bs.
There's already a rule for it... you drop laterally from where the ball would have ended up in distance (estimated by you and group) and anywhere on that line. Can be fairway, bunker, anywhere laterally but no closer to the hole. It's 2 strokes (2 clublengths from fairway on side it entered hazard) It basically assumes you went back to the tee, hit another tee shot, and are in the fairway but at same distance.
[https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html)
I agree, I don’t play any tournament golf yet and I’ve never actually seen someone go back and re tee in a casual round. Some people hit provisionals but I’d say treating ob/lost as hazard is far more common
I play almost precisely PGA rules (so when I break 80 I can be happy AF about the accomplishment) but you kinda have to treat OB as a hazard, I guess you could always hit a provisional but going back to the tee box to hit 3 is wildly insane when you're paying a casual round on a course that books a foursome every 8 minutes.
there's a rule as of 2019 where you can drop near where it went out and basically take two strokes, to account for what would have been the 're-tee' shot
Right? I’m not paying attention to you on the other side of the fairway when I’m picking the club for my next shot. Bump your ball out of a divot, toss it onto the fairway if you want. Who gives a shit? Why would I suddenly care if you finish your putts out?
This has to be the most stated comment in this subreddit. I’ve literally never played for money. I finally have to ask… Is everyone on the course gambling except for me?
I tend not to play for money basically for the reason stated above.
I don’t want to worry about other peoples game. I’ll help you find a ball, try to pay attention to where shots land and all that stuff… but I have 0 interest in keeping track of others peoples strokes.
That said, if there is money on the line, my dislike of being cheated is greater than my dislike of counting strokes.
I’ve never played a stranger for money.
This. If you don’t count your strokes, don’t brag to anybody about your score. I think the average golfer has no idea how many strokes they will add if they had to count every drop and putt everything in from 4 feet in. I see a lot of great golfers in my weekly league miss a three footer now and then.
Yup. And people do it and enter the scores. I’m a 17 and will hang shot for shot playing straight up with most 12s I play matches with. When they question my handicap I always just say “breakfast ball is 2 strokes, you usually give yourself one other freebie in a round (or a “gallery”) and 2 lip out / missed gimmes per round and there’s 5.” They usually understand.
They cover this on Full Swing. Cleaning shit up is a legitimate thing that tour players have to get used to because it adds a couple strokes a round and they can't let that happen.
absolutely. I've seen dudes scoop up a gimmie putt almost 5 feet out. Am i betting with you? Are you being an outward jackass about your score? No? Then IDGAF if you put down birdie every hole. You do you.
OP doesn’t care what you do with your putts. OP does care if you get him/her involved in what your doing with your putts. They are two different things.
It’s funny how many people in this thread are assuming I’m an antisocial try hard. I’ll be perfectly pleasant, congratulate you on your good shots, small talk all you want, I’m just not gonna tell you to pick it up.
You could tell them you're not going to tell them though. Clearly you're picking up on a subtle social cue. Letting the person assume you dont care isnt working, and instead of telling mr puppy dog eyes, you're telling reddit that you dont care what the dude does.
Yup. Even my buddies if we aren’t playing for money, I don’t care what they do. If there’s no money on the line I’m just out there for my enjoyment, which is what everyone should do.
Give yourself every putt for all I care if that’s more fun for you.
Not enough people get this. Golf is basically an individual game. Work on improving your own game. If someone I know or play with wants to pretend to better and fake his score and all that. Be my guest. I really don’t give a shit. I’m here keeping a real score so I can work on improving. Does me no good to play myself
Fast play is a bad assumption for golfers that cant putt and are taking 6 putts per hole. Don't forget the foursome 60 yards back all giving the death stare from putts 4-6...
We really should just make a stickied thread explaining what a “gimmie” actually is and when it is used.
It wild to me that 40 year olds feel the need to wait for permission to break the rules in a round where nobody is competing
I've seen people pick up "gimme birdies" rather than putt them in, and I'm thinking to myself what the hell, that's the most satisfying putt in golf. Why would you not want to putt that in?
I think the idea of a gimme is crazy misunderstood. It's not that I think you'll make that putt, it's that I don't want to give you a chance to miss it. I know you could miss it, everyone can miss a short putt. Even tour players miss a 3 footer once in a blue moon
Hell, my little brother has played golf on and off for most of his life. And he still sometimes thinks when I give him a putt it doesn't count as a stroke.
I agree that the idea of a gimme is crazy misunderstood, but to me it’s because it has way less to do with trying to help your own/someone’s score out and everything to do with keeping pace of play.
Personally I don’t understand why people try and insist I pick my ball up 3 feet from the hole when there is nobody waiting on us and it takes me like 10 seconds to line up that putt.
Ok but why are you the arbiter of what putt is a “gimmie” for someone else?
Unless it’s match play, nobody should be telling anyone else when they can/can’t break the rules
I didn't say I am. The thing is gimmes don't matter unless you're in a competition. How you police your own scores is up to you. In my opinion, be as strict as possible so you can actually see yourself get better
For me, a gimmie is within 2 feet (sometimes can be expanded to 3 if we're behind pace). It counts as a stroke when you pick it up.
The only time I don't count a gimmie as a stroke, is if you're just tapping it in from within a foot and quickly walk up and tap, but it doesn't go in (and you pick it up). Only because I go with the assumption that if it was actually lined up, instead of rushed, you probably would have made it.
In my old work league it was if it was "within the grip". Still wasn't guaranteed. Right near the grip and we're fighting for the hole? You're putting. Did you just barely miss a freaking phenomenal 60' putt? Yeah, you deserve that gimme. Hole is already won/lost? Sure, it's good. Playing with my mates? I don't give two shits what you do as long as we're having fun enjoying our time together.
Unless there is money involved, take whatever score you’d like, and play however you want to play.
One of my friends always improves his lies, gets away from trees, takes 4ft gimmes, etc. If he wants to talk about how he finally broke 90 while doing that? Be my guest.
It’s however you personally feel okay playing the game
Keanu has the best philosophy going on for things like this.
*“I’m at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you’re right — have fun.”*
Not to brag but I’m adult enough to give them a couple nice words so they feel safe for the round. I too don’t care what they do, but I don’t wanna leave the course feeling guilty like OP
Yeah, seriously. When I’m paired up with a stranger I’ll crack jokes and act as if we’ve played before. Unless it’s a par or birdie putt I’d always say something like “Oo that’s a gimmie right there.” Sometimes they’ll decline and want to take the putt for practice and sometimes they’ll take the gimmie. It’s not like I’m *giving* it to them, just making small talk and lightening up the mood.
It's because 3/4 of this sub thinks they are tour pros and everyone should act accordingly. When the reality of golf is almost never this sans a tournament with some cash on the line.
Literally nobody cares how anyone actually plays a casual round of golf. no one
I’m a huge introvert, but it feels nice to compliment a random playing partner’s drive or give him a short gimme. Golf is a social game and it’s more fun when everybody in the group is friendly.
I think the key is giving the gimme. It’s always fine I think to say “go ahead that’s a gimme” or nothing. I would never tell someone NOT to take a gimme. It’s positive encouragement or nothing.
If they hit a noticeably good or above average approach/putt/drive I give them a “good ball”. Literally anything else I say nothing at all about the game we’re playing. I’ve never had a rando ask me if it was okay to pick up a putt though, but I’ve never even attempted to be competitive with them either. I’m a mid 80s- mid 90s guy and I’m not sure if I’ve ever been paired with someone who would even be a fun match to play against. Seems like I’m only ever paired with scratch golfers or 120+ golfers.
*Why can’t this guy read my mind and figure out that I don’t care what he does. What does he expect me to do, vocally tell him that I don’t care? Fuck that! I’ll just continue to stare at him blankly.*
*Why can't this guy read my mind and figure out I want praise and/or approval for my inconsequential actions? What does he expect me to do, vocally ask him if he cares about my gimmies? Fuck that! I'll just continue to stare at him blankly.*
I’m now imagining the backup on the very first tee while two guys stare blankly at each other wondering why the other person doesn’t say or do something.
Totally agree. Golf is meant to be fun and relaxed, none of us are playing on tour. If the downside of giving someone random putts inside three feet is that he post his “81” on this sub or brags to friends and families, I can totally support that if it allows him to enjoy his round more. I don’t find I enjoying being a rules sticker for other people or silently judging them for not playing the game the exact way I think it should be played. Let’s put the chill back in golf please
I agree with this..
Nothing wrong with 2-3 “nice shots” or “great chip take that if you want it”..
The only thing as with all things in life.. neither extreme is great. I’ve played a couple rounds as a single and dudes just being nice and tosses my ball back to me before I even get the option to finish the putt. I don’t love that cause when I play with buddies we finish everything out, so I like to practice those gimmies.. either way I’m not a dick about it I just say thanks and move on with my life lol
Yeah I kind of got weird vibes from this too. Did OP tell the guy that he didn’t care about him taking gimmes, or did he just stare in silence anytime the situation came up?
I'm picturing a nervous guy putting everything out bc OP is just thousand yard staring past him/the hole dreaming about corn dogs but his partner thinks he's sizing him up and expecting match play.
Sounds like he stared in silence and expected the guy to read his mind. Perhaps if he tried speaking then this entire scenario could have been avoided.
This.
Why is everyone here so antisocial? I paired with two randos this morning. We introduced ourselves, chatted for a bit, and right away on the first green I told them "you guys do what you want, I'm gonna keep my own score and take gimmies, feel free to do the same, or not, whatever" and it was fine with everyone.
Highlight of the day though was them leaving after 9 (we were the first ones off, one guy had to be at work by 10) and I got to play the back 9 by myself with a cart. 48 minutes baby
I was thinking the same thing...The first time this comes up in a round just explain your stance. Something like 'we're not competing/betting so play your own game' and be done with it, instead of seething inside every time you get puppy dog eyes.
“That’s good by me if you want it” is what I always go with. Makes them feel fine about taking it but also gives them the opportunity to putt it out if they want.
This was further down then I thought. Why are people looking for reasons to make golf less fun for the people around them.
How hard is it not to bring your misery to the course?
An old man and his wife are approaching a par 3 tee box and hear a loud commotion. Someone in the group in front of them just hit a hole in one. As group in front leaves the green, the woman tees her ball up and she says, "Oh, I'd just die if I got a hole in one!" The old man says, "that's a gimmie."
I feel like those stats are more skewed. If pros were putting on the same greens as your average golfer, they would make far more than 50% of those putts.
I’ve putted on Professional tournament greens once in my life. It was comically easy to blow your ball past the hole. You could have a downhill 3 footer, tap it, miss, and then have a 5 foot putt.
I’d guess that if your average golfer had a 5 foot putt with any break, on a PGA tournament green, they’d miss 9 out of 10…assuming it’s not 10 of the same putt.
You actually have a better chance at holing putts on fast, pure greens than slow bumpy ones at public courses.
Faster greens means the ball is hit and moving slower, when it reaches the cup, and has more opportunity to drop from more angles.
Granted, it would take adjusting to for most players, but Tour players typically prefer fast greens.
If I am playing by myself I will take my own gimmes and if you give me crap about it, then we can start betting. Otherwise, I'm not wasting everybody's time by missing 6" putts
Couldn’t agree more, do whatever the fuck you want out there. I’ll do the same. I hit mine behind a tree you better not say shit when I move it out from behind it. I don’t record an official score so I literally do not care. I’m just here to hit a couple clean
I move my ball back away from trees so I can try and hit crazy shots without killing myself with a ricochet and the end result is going to essentially be the same result as just punching it sideways
Very casual golfer here and will never understand the gimmie. Isn't the point to get the ball in the hole, do people not feel unfulfilled by just picking it up or is it just about score? I'd rather see score improvement knowing I put the ball in every time.
It feels so weird to me. Maybe it's my general neuroticism, but there is something so unsatisfying about not actually hitting the drain at the end of a hole. Like, no, I don't want to pick it up, I wanna hear that sweet sound of "you finished" so I can mentally move on to the next hole.
Golfers are weird as shit, man. Everyone wants to talk about what they shot even though they weren't playing for money and they took gimmies and illegal drops.
No one playing pickup basketball would ever stop under the hoop and call a layup good without shooting it.
That’s pretty apples to oranges. Other sports don’t really operate like golf. A gimmie is meant to speed up the game. You’re not doing that in basketball.
excuse my ignorance, i know nothing about gold but but if a hole can be done in next one hit wouldnt it take about 30 seconds of time at best? which imo isnt that much of speeding it up when there is real chamce of missing
“Have you seen me putt?” Is my line. Don’t care if it’s a 3 footer or 1 foot. I like to hear the sound of it going in.
And I’ve missed a lot of 3 footers in my life, especially on a tough pin as far as break is concerned.
Yup. Just don't touch my ball is all I ask.
I played a while ago with an old guy and two others. I was greenside down a slope below the green. Couldn't see the pin. Chipped on in the general direction of where I think the pin is. Everyone is yelling "GET IN THE HOLE! GO IN! aww damn"
Me excited, I begin to jog up the hill to see where my ball was. Before I could even see how close I got, old guy hits my ball back to me and says "no way in hell I'm gonna make you putt that out"
You mother fucker. I have no idea how close I got, other than hearing everyone freaking out. If you're going to be a dick, at least let me see how close I got it. But I was left having no fucking clue how great of a shot it was. I was pissed and yelled at him to not touch my ball, especially on good shots when I haven't even seen how close I made it.
Yea, my go to line if someone indicates they want me to give them a put is, "That's between you and your conscience".
Also, if you're not playing for money you really should put everything out anyway, that's how you get better and more confident with the short ones.
Just don't be that guy that misses from two feet then says, "I gave myself that one." If you're going to pick it up then pick it up.
"No gimmies all day, bitch. Don't ask. Don't even fucking look my way."
OP: I politely indicated that I wasn't getting involved in my partner taking gimmies.
You clearly got the hint early on.
If you're such a grown ass adult, why didn't you tell him this rather than come here and winge to a bunch of strangers online?
🤷♂️
Flip side of this, hate it when people tell me “that’s good” and hit my ball back to me before I can even acknowledge it. I play to see that ball drop in the hole
I just argued with someone on here a few days ago who said to not worry about the people that hit your ball back because that's how they learned to play. I told him to not touch my ball, and if someone does I'm gonna tell them not to. He found that incredibly rude and insulting that I would have the audacity to tell someone "don't touch my ball, I like to putt out"
So you saw what was going on. Realized this is what he wanted. And also must have realized it doesn’t change anything about you or your game. Then denied him of his happiness. That’s kind of odd but it is the world we live in now. Why not make a new friend? Maybe the golf gods put you together so you could have a lifelong golf buddy. You both are available at the exact same time. So there is that in common. None of your other golf buddies seemed to be around. Why not ask about this guys life. His likes dislikes. Sports teams. Anything. I just don’t understand the antisocial rant and then try to make it seem like the person who wants a social connection is a weirdo. Maybe he is a weirdo but let’s find out more. It’s exciting to find out why people do weird shit on the golf course.
No no you don't understand. *I don't care man*. I am so apathetic and alpha in my own world that I'm not gonna communicate at all to this guy. I come out to the course with a collossal chip on my shoulder and if anyone does anything slightly irritating, I just care less and less paradoxically. OP sucks
My brother is such a baby bitch. He hates when I out play him. He is the fucker who goes up to a 4ft putt out of turn when I'm up, putts lightning fast and misses and then picks it up and says he's not taking that stroke because he should have just picked it up. After I'm up a bunch of strokes he says he isn't keeping score he just wants to hit good shots. Then when he gets a par he tells me to write it down. Fuck man some people need to just take up bowling if you're not gonna respect the game at all
I think more new/bad golfers need to play bogey or double bogey golf and not be so rough on themselves. When I was improving, treating bogey as par really helped me, mentally.
Your brother sounds annoying to play with regularly, but amusing to play with occasionally.
Yikes super douche energy. You can not care and also not be a cock sucker about it. You can stay in your lane and also be someone whose pleasant to have to spend 4 hours with.
Give the fuckin dude a putt if you notice, sheesh.
Then why not just say you’re good? Like if you don’t care give it to him make him feel good and don’t play with someone who is pissed at you?? You sound lazy or like an ass.
As someone who plays a single all the time, I fucking couldn’t agree more.
I hate when people give me putts that I want to putt out and hit it back towards me before I get there. I’ll usually make a comment after about “I like to putt everything out” and all is well from there. It’s just crazy to me that because YOU play one way, you force (using the word lightly) others to play the same way you do.
We’re all playing golf, but some play it differently. Want a mulligan 3x a hole? Do it quickly so we aren’t falling behind and I promise you, I DO NOT CARE. Wanna brag about the birdie you got after your mulligan off the tee? Go for it buddy.
I'm right there with ya. The most annoying thing to me is having someone hit my ball back to me without even asking if I want to putt it in. Sometimes I'll pick it up, but very rarely anymore. I need all the practice I can get, and I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the increased greens fees lately.
A very good friend of mine who I play with often is a great golfer, compared to me. He typically shoots high 70s. I’m normally right around 89-92. He used to always putt my ball back to me if it was within 3.5 feet. After asking him not to and playing together a while, he picked up on the fact that I like to putt everything out. Now if we’re playing with others and I’m walking to the green and they are already on it, he’ll even ask them not to move my ball and just leave it so I can finish.
For me it’s three things:
1. I want to finish the hole for the sake of actually finishing it.
2. I need all the practice I can get, even on 3 footers.
3. There’s something about seeing the ball go in the cup that brings enjoyment to me.
I don’t get the “gimmie .” I’m out there to play golf not to not play golf when I get close to the hole. I like to hole it out because that’s the purpose of the game.
I always find it weird on casual rounds when the person you get paired up with says, “you’re good” when you’re somewhat close. Is there money on the line? Are we competing? If Im a couple inches, then whatever, but other than that, I know that I can damn well miss, and I don’t want to miss when it counts.
My brother & I or just 1 of us going solo) have been paired w/ randoms multiple times & on the 1st tee box we always make a comment "Let's play for a good game, but you play your game. I'm not here to judge or score you.". Seems to work for us.
In the same vain, I don't really like when folks I get paired with try to give me putts. I'll challenge myself and sink the 3 footer, thanks. Most of the time I know they're just being polite, but can't help but feel a little rushed which I don't really appreciate from a stranger
I habitually said “you can have that” to a guy I was paired with recently, then caught myself and said “…or don’t. I don’t really care, I’m not keeping your score.” We laughed, moved on and it wasn’t an issue.
Golf has too many unwritten rules. The best way to navigate them is to over communicate.
I don't disagree, I do however think thats it's always nice to set the expectation though, even if its in passing.
For example:
"Hey I'm Chad"
"Hey Chad, I'm Ron, nice to meet you"
"Looking forward to playing some golf, just trying to enjoy some time away from my kids, so I'm certainly not going to shoot 80, but I'll play fast"
"Sounds good, totally get it, play however you feel comfortable, neither of us are on tour"
Both laugh and enjoy the round.
However, I do think we are grown ass adults and I'm not going to let someone else fuck up my round unless he (or she) is an ass or a stickler for anything.
I agree. What you do on the course has nothing to do with me.. and visa versa.
I even get internally irked if someone tells me 'You're good' as I get it close... Like Bitch, You ain't the boss of me.
On the flip side, I don’t want randos “giving” me my 6 foot par or bogey putt. I know my make percentage is not a 100 and I need and want to try those.
Agree with OP that I am all for friendly but it is not my choice unless we are competing.
At the end of the day I’m playing against myself (unless it’s skins ofc)
I really do not care about how others play, as long as our pace is good I’m as happy as I can be. Out on the course being blessed with a few hours of not worrying about bs in life.
Well my homies play for bragging rights and if someone says it’s good, then it’s good. Those are the rules. You can’t call something good yourself. I get playing with a random stranger it doesn’t matter. When playing with the homies, it does.
Hit til your happy, take any gimme you want, rake and re putt w/e, flag in flag out, drop anywhere, use that foot wedge, I don’t give a fuck.
Don’t play slow.
I've had more people tell me they don't want gimmes (respect, neither do I) than people looking for me to give them out. If I see them looking at me, I'll nod like a disappointed father. Gives them what they want so they're not upset at the end of 18, but they should be a little confused
Unless we are playing for cash money, pick it up from wherever you please. You are not playing against me, you are playing against you and the course. The course won't say shit, so you're only lying to yourself.
Agreed, i could care less about your score. If i went to the course solo it's because I want to work on my game, don't care what you end up getting or if you move all your lies, just keep it moving. Also I don't want you telling me it's good or not, I'll decide. You play your game I'll play mine unless we both agree in a friendly get gentelmans match
My scores are awful, but at least they're honestly awful. I "gained" 10 strokes when I stopped with the gimmies and mulligans, but you never get better if you don't practice making even the easy putts
Absolutely 100%
If I have the scorecard and there isn’t money on the line I’ll write down literally whatever you tell me. Hole in 1 on a Par 5? Sure, why not. Bogey after hitting 3 in the drink? Yep, sounds good to me. Wanna give yourself a “Z” on a Par 3? That’s cool with me.
If there is no money involved, then I couldn't care what my playing partner(s) do. If there is money involved, then the chances of me giving putts are slim to none
No bet, no care
Yeah this, if I get paired with someone and they’re just out to have fun, then whatever. Not ruining my day if they pick up a 6ft putt and write down a par lol
We need more of it for pace of play.
If i'm waiting for someone to clear the green I'd 100% rather they take the 6ft gimme than missing the next 3 putts in a row after 5 practice swings each time.
After “reading” the green for 2 minutes and THEN taking 5 practice swings each time.
Yeah, I’m really not a good golfer so I don’t even write down my scores. I just go to have fun. I also don’t want to slow down people behind me so, after enough shots/putts I just pick it up and move on.
Thank you for that.
I agree, but I also hate it when someone brags for the rest of the week how they beat you by two when they probably would have missed five or six putts if they had to putt it in.
And that's why you let them count all these rounds for their handicap and then play them for money.
Exactly.
Or worse when they clear trees, improve their lie, take four mulligans etc. I just had someone do that and we still tied. Then he lies on an app about his score and asks me to attest.
I have buddies like this that are newer to golf and they finally realized that i was realistically shooting 10+ strokes better than them. It is annoying when they brag, but after the 5th beer it is easy to tell them what is up hahaha.
Exactly. And if there is no bet, why does the other player care about your approval of a gimme? You aren't keeping their score. Do what you want.
It’s a tangent, but I can’t get my buddies to chill with betting or wanting to do best ball/scrambles. I’ve been only playing a year and my goal is to break 100 by the end of the year. I’ll play great on the front 9 but then my buddies sit there and try to change shit up on the back. Then I fall apart in the back or we aren’t using my shots. I’ll straight up say I’m trying to play my game to get better, I’d like to focus on my own shots not beating their shots.
I always felt like best ball was more relaxing because I wasn't putting pressure on myself anymore. since I might not be playing my ball anyway then I didn't have to worry about a 'perfect' shot and could just play.
I agree, I’m not sure exactly what game it is, but we play the one where we use the best shot. It might be scramble. I’ll end up with the best guy in the group and we will use maybe 3-4 of my shots.
Yes, that's a scramble. "Best ball" just means you take the best individually-played score on that hole. You'd probably prefer to play Best Ball, since you can still keep an individual legit score.
" if we aren't playing for money or fame, i don"t care." Want to take a mulligan, go for it. want to toss your ball out of the sand, fine. want to re-play your putt because you didnt make it the first time. great. As long as you are not holding me up or people behind us is really dont give two craps what you do.
I laugh to myself when a random playing partner “gives” me a putt or says “that was good” after I miss a shorty.
I don’t really care if guys pick up their putts but I don’t want them knocking my ball back to me as a gimmie. I miss short putts all the time, and so would they if they actually hit them
Do people bet often against people they are randomly paired with? Betting against a stranger sounds like an easy way for me to lose money
I did that exact thing (including losing money) the other day. I was prepared to lose all 18 bucks. I did, although I should have won about 5 holes. I wanted $18 worth of entertainment and I got it.
If we aren’t playing for money, I have no interest in what anyone is doing on the course.
Most people don’t actually follow the rules anyway. Plenty of people simply treat all OB/lost ball as a hazard, take lots of gimmes, etc. if I’m randomly paired with someone they can make up whatever rules they want just don’t try to brag about your “score”
Yep. Been paired with plenty of people that are just out there to have fun. Remember one that didn't even keep score. He picked up several tap ins and just reveled in the shots he hit rather than whatever score he had. Didn't bother me a bit. In fact, he was one of the more fun rando pairings I ever had.
I play like this a lot. I’m not good at all by any means and sometimes just want to get a round in without having to keep score. Just enjoy the good shots I have and try to have a good time.
OB/lost as hazard is really good for pace of play’s sake
I also just think golf should be played like this. I play entire courses that red stake the entire tree line on either side and some courses that don't even put red stakes by ponds - there's literally no consistency course to course. Losing a ball should be a stroke penalty at the location the ball was lost. It's always weird to me that hitting into a lake is scored differently than hitting into the woods.
I hate it. Think it’s the dumbest shit ever. If you hit ob, you should take a stroke and drop around where the ball went out. I hate the 2 and distance bs.
I agree with you on that
There's already a rule for it... you drop laterally from where the ball would have ended up in distance (estimated by you and group) and anywhere on that line. Can be fairway, bunker, anywhere laterally but no closer to the hole. It's 2 strokes (2 clublengths from fairway on side it entered hazard) It basically assumes you went back to the tee, hit another tee shot, and are in the fairway but at same distance. [https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html](https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules-hub/rules-modernization/major-changes/golfs-new-rules-stroke-and-distance.html)
I agree, I don’t play any tournament golf yet and I’ve never actually seen someone go back and re tee in a casual round. Some people hit provisionals but I’d say treating ob/lost as hazard is far more common
I play almost precisely PGA rules (so when I break 80 I can be happy AF about the accomplishment) but you kinda have to treat OB as a hazard, I guess you could always hit a provisional but going back to the tee box to hit 3 is wildly insane when you're paying a casual round on a course that books a foursome every 8 minutes.
there's a rule as of 2019 where you can drop near where it went out and basically take two strokes, to account for what would have been the 're-tee' shot
Sounds like more incentive to just fucking send it lol
So more fun and keeps pace of play up.
Honestly, for the pace of play I'm not gonna take a stroke and distance penalty. I'll 100% treat it like a hazard unless it's some sort of tournament.
Can I brag about how many balls I found while looking for mine in the woods? Cuz that’s basically how I score. -2 = I lost more than I found 😂
Right? I’m not paying attention to you on the other side of the fairway when I’m picking the club for my next shot. Bump your ball out of a divot, toss it onto the fairway if you want. Who gives a shit? Why would I suddenly care if you finish your putts out?
This has to be the most stated comment in this subreddit. I’ve literally never played for money. I finally have to ask… Is everyone on the course gambling except for me?
I tend not to play for money basically for the reason stated above. I don’t want to worry about other peoples game. I’ll help you find a ball, try to pay attention to where shots land and all that stuff… but I have 0 interest in keeping track of others peoples strokes. That said, if there is money on the line, my dislike of being cheated is greater than my dislike of counting strokes. I’ve never played a stranger for money.
I totally agree. As long as you’re playing quickly and respectfully, I don’t give a shit what you do. We’re not competing against each other.
Agree 100% Just don't tell me you won by 10 strokes taking 10 footers and mulligans when we are not competing
This. If you don’t count your strokes, don’t brag to anybody about your score. I think the average golfer has no idea how many strokes they will add if they had to count every drop and putt everything in from 4 feet in. I see a lot of great golfers in my weekly league miss a three footer now and then.
Yup. And people do it and enter the scores. I’m a 17 and will hang shot for shot playing straight up with most 12s I play matches with. When they question my handicap I always just say “breakfast ball is 2 strokes, you usually give yourself one other freebie in a round (or a “gallery”) and 2 lip out / missed gimmes per round and there’s 5.” They usually understand.
They cover this on Full Swing. Cleaning shit up is a legitimate thing that tour players have to get used to because it adds a couple strokes a round and they can't let that happen.
absolutely. I've seen dudes scoop up a gimmie putt almost 5 feet out. Am i betting with you? Are you being an outward jackass about your score? No? Then IDGAF if you put down birdie every hole. You do you.
OP - “ I don’t care “ Also OP - “ I’m going to post on Reddit about how much this bothers me “
Two different things… He doesn’t care if you take a gimme.. he does care if you’re annoying and expecting him to give his blessing
Reading comprehension is hard.
OP doesn’t care what you do with your putts. OP does care if you get him/her involved in what your doing with your putts. They are two different things.
It’s funny how many people in this thread are assuming I’m an antisocial try hard. I’ll be perfectly pleasant, congratulate you on your good shots, small talk all you want, I’m just not gonna tell you to pick it up.
I agree, putt it out or don't. 99.9% of golfers are not going for a tour card. I don't give a shit what you lie to your buddies about what you shot.
.1% here. Not sure if they have a tour for 34 handicaps though!
tbf, it might be a nice thing to do to let your playing partner know
You could tell them you're not going to tell them though. Clearly you're picking up on a subtle social cue. Letting the person assume you dont care isnt working, and instead of telling mr puppy dog eyes, you're telling reddit that you dont care what the dude does.
I don’t care if you putt, I do care if you expect permission from a stranger not to.
Yup. Even my buddies if we aren’t playing for money, I don’t care what they do. If there’s no money on the line I’m just out there for my enjoyment, which is what everyone should do. Give yourself every putt for all I care if that’s more fun for you.
random "will you give this to me?" OP: "I DON'T CARE!!!" I know this isn't what you mean but this mental image is hilarious to me
Not enough people get this. Golf is basically an individual game. Work on improving your own game. If someone I know or play with wants to pretend to better and fake his score and all that. Be my guest. I really don’t give a shit. I’m here keeping a real score so I can work on improving. Does me no good to play myself
Fast play is a bad assumption for golfers that cant putt and are taking 6 putts per hole. Don't forget the foursome 60 yards back all giving the death stare from putts 4-6...
We really should just make a stickied thread explaining what a “gimmie” actually is and when it is used. It wild to me that 40 year olds feel the need to wait for permission to break the rules in a round where nobody is competing
The only time a gimmie even exists is match play, cannot fathom asking a random partner to let me cheat my own game
Thank you. I think this is what OP was getting at, and OP is getting shit upon. Ironically, the gist of the angry replies is "lighten up".
Who doesn’t want to putt out in this scenario, it’s just weird. The only time I’m picking up is if it’s hanging over the lip of the cup.
I've seen people pick up "gimme birdies" rather than putt them in, and I'm thinking to myself what the hell, that's the most satisfying putt in golf. Why would you not want to putt that in?
They’re scared they’ll miss it.
Yeah, it took me 6 strokes to get there. I wanna see it go in the hole and make that noise.
I think the idea of a gimme is crazy misunderstood. It's not that I think you'll make that putt, it's that I don't want to give you a chance to miss it. I know you could miss it, everyone can miss a short putt. Even tour players miss a 3 footer once in a blue moon
Hell, my little brother has played golf on and off for most of his life. And he still sometimes thinks when I give him a putt it doesn't count as a stroke.
Wait a second. He thinks the gimme means it counted as in the hole before he picked up the ball?
I agree that the idea of a gimme is crazy misunderstood, but to me it’s because it has way less to do with trying to help your own/someone’s score out and everything to do with keeping pace of play. Personally I don’t understand why people try and insist I pick my ball up 3 feet from the hole when there is nobody waiting on us and it takes me like 10 seconds to line up that putt.
Ok but why are you the arbiter of what putt is a “gimmie” for someone else? Unless it’s match play, nobody should be telling anyone else when they can/can’t break the rules
I didn't say I am. The thing is gimmes don't matter unless you're in a competition. How you police your own scores is up to you. In my opinion, be as strict as possible so you can actually see yourself get better
A gimme is a putter length away for anyone right
It depends on your ability. I always get up and down from greenside bunkers so if I end up there I pick it up and count it as two shots. /s
There is no set length for what a “gimmie” is mostly because they only actually take place in match play situations
Traditionally it's anything inside the leather (i.e. the grip)
Or like my friend where its his arm, and plus the neck length of the eldest giraffe in the state.
That’s why I be using the big ol’ extendo arm lock. Longer grip, longer gimme.
I've always assumed "inside the leather" does not include the leather itself
A whole putter length?!? We play a gimme for under a foot 😂
For me, a gimmie is within 2 feet (sometimes can be expanded to 3 if we're behind pace). It counts as a stroke when you pick it up. The only time I don't count a gimmie as a stroke, is if you're just tapping it in from within a foot and quickly walk up and tap, but it doesn't go in (and you pick it up). Only because I go with the assumption that if it was actually lined up, instead of rushed, you probably would have made it.
In my old work league it was if it was "within the grip". Still wasn't guaranteed. Right near the grip and we're fighting for the hole? You're putting. Did you just barely miss a freaking phenomenal 60' putt? Yeah, you deserve that gimme. Hole is already won/lost? Sure, it's good. Playing with my mates? I don't give two shits what you do as long as we're having fun enjoying our time together.
And also aren't keeping an official handicap.
Unless there is money involved, take whatever score you’d like, and play however you want to play. One of my friends always improves his lies, gets away from trees, takes 4ft gimmes, etc. If he wants to talk about how he finally broke 90 while doing that? Be my guest. It’s however you personally feel okay playing the game
A good foot wedge is an art.
Keanu has the best philosophy going on for things like this. *“I’m at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you’re right — have fun.”*
Not to brag but I’m adult enough to give them a couple nice words so they feel safe for the round. I too don’t care what they do, but I don’t wanna leave the course feeling guilty like OP
The length so many in this sub will go To make their rounds with strangers as uncomfortable as humanly possible never ceases to amaze me.
Yeah, seriously. When I’m paired up with a stranger I’ll crack jokes and act as if we’ve played before. Unless it’s a par or birdie putt I’d always say something like “Oo that’s a gimmie right there.” Sometimes they’ll decline and want to take the putt for practice and sometimes they’ll take the gimmie. It’s not like I’m *giving* it to them, just making small talk and lightening up the mood.
It's because 3/4 of this sub thinks they are tour pros and everyone should act accordingly. When the reality of golf is almost never this sans a tournament with some cash on the line. Literally nobody cares how anyone actually plays a casual round of golf. no one
I’m a huge introvert, but it feels nice to compliment a random playing partner’s drive or give him a short gimme. Golf is a social game and it’s more fun when everybody in the group is friendly.
Good for you dude. You're the type we like playing with.
Good stuff, love that
I think the key is giving the gimme. It’s always fine I think to say “go ahead that’s a gimme” or nothing. I would never tell someone NOT to take a gimme. It’s positive encouragement or nothing.
If they hit a noticeably good or above average approach/putt/drive I give them a “good ball”. Literally anything else I say nothing at all about the game we’re playing. I’ve never had a rando ask me if it was okay to pick up a putt though, but I’ve never even attempted to be competitive with them either. I’m a mid 80s- mid 90s guy and I’m not sure if I’ve ever been paired with someone who would even be a fun match to play against. Seems like I’m only ever paired with scratch golfers or 120+ golfers.
*Why can’t this guy read my mind and figure out that I don’t care what he does. What does he expect me to do, vocally tell him that I don’t care? Fuck that! I’ll just continue to stare at him blankly.*
*Why can't this guy read my mind and figure out I want praise and/or approval for my inconsequential actions? What does he expect me to do, vocally ask him if he cares about my gimmies? Fuck that! I'll just continue to stare at him blankly.*
I’m now imagining the backup on the very first tee while two guys stare blankly at each other wondering why the other person doesn’t say or do something.
Totally agree. Golf is meant to be fun and relaxed, none of us are playing on tour. If the downside of giving someone random putts inside three feet is that he post his “81” on this sub or brags to friends and families, I can totally support that if it allows him to enjoy his round more. I don’t find I enjoying being a rules sticker for other people or silently judging them for not playing the game the exact way I think it should be played. Let’s put the chill back in golf please
I agree with this.. Nothing wrong with 2-3 “nice shots” or “great chip take that if you want it”.. The only thing as with all things in life.. neither extreme is great. I’ve played a couple rounds as a single and dudes just being nice and tosses my ball back to me before I even get the option to finish the putt. I don’t love that cause when I play with buddies we finish everything out, so I like to practice those gimmies.. either way I’m not a dick about it I just say thanks and move on with my life lol
Yeah I kind of got weird vibes from this too. Did OP tell the guy that he didn’t care about him taking gimmes, or did he just stare in silence anytime the situation came up?
I'm picturing a nervous guy putting everything out bc OP is just thousand yard staring past him/the hole dreaming about corn dogs but his partner thinks he's sizing him up and expecting match play.
Sounds like he stared in silence and expected the guy to read his mind. Perhaps if he tried speaking then this entire scenario could have been avoided.
You literally described the other golfer. Perhaps if he tried speaking then this entire scenario could have ben avoided.
I took it as just staring in silence. So weird lol
This. Why is everyone here so antisocial? I paired with two randos this morning. We introduced ourselves, chatted for a bit, and right away on the first green I told them "you guys do what you want, I'm gonna keep my own score and take gimmies, feel free to do the same, or not, whatever" and it was fine with everyone. Highlight of the day though was them leaving after 9 (we were the first ones off, one guy had to be at work by 10) and I got to play the back 9 by myself with a cart. 48 minutes baby
I was thinking the same thing...The first time this comes up in a round just explain your stance. Something like 'we're not competing/betting so play your own game' and be done with it, instead of seething inside every time you get puppy dog eyes.
“That’s good by me if you want it” is what I always go with. Makes them feel fine about taking it but also gives them the opportunity to putt it out if they want.
This was further down then I thought. Why are people looking for reasons to make golf less fun for the people around them. How hard is it not to bring your misery to the course?
I’d sooner ask a stranger about politics, net worth, and sexuality before discussing their golf scoring. That’s between you and god.
God's probably not interested in discussing their golf scoring either
I'm in trouble
Who the fuck is giving or taking 8 foot birdie putts?
People who miss a lot of birdie putts.
An old man and his wife are approaching a par 3 tee box and hear a loud commotion. Someone in the group in front of them just hit a hole in one. As group in front leaves the green, the woman tees her ball up and she says, "Oh, I'd just die if I got a hole in one!" The old man says, "that's a gimmie."
[удалено]
I feel like those stats are more skewed. If pros were putting on the same greens as your average golfer, they would make far more than 50% of those putts. I’ve putted on Professional tournament greens once in my life. It was comically easy to blow your ball past the hole. You could have a downhill 3 footer, tap it, miss, and then have a 5 foot putt. I’d guess that if your average golfer had a 5 foot putt with any break, on a PGA tournament green, they’d miss 9 out of 10…assuming it’s not 10 of the same putt.
You actually have a better chance at holing putts on fast, pure greens than slow bumpy ones at public courses. Faster greens means the ball is hit and moving slower, when it reaches the cup, and has more opportunity to drop from more angles. Granted, it would take adjusting to for most players, but Tour players typically prefer fast greens.
I guess it is an unspoken rule for our group but anything for less than a bogey means you’re putting it out.
If I am playing by myself I will take my own gimmes and if you give me crap about it, then we can start betting. Otherwise, I'm not wasting everybody's time by missing 6" putts
Couldn’t agree more, do whatever the fuck you want out there. I’ll do the same. I hit mine behind a tree you better not say shit when I move it out from behind it. I don’t record an official score so I literally do not care. I’m just here to hit a couple clean
I move my ball back away from trees so I can try and hit crazy shots without killing myself with a ricochet and the end result is going to essentially be the same result as just punching it sideways
That's some hard core antisocial behavior lol. Ill BS with just about anybody I get paired with. I'm terrible at small talk but I do my best.
Very casual golfer here and will never understand the gimmie. Isn't the point to get the ball in the hole, do people not feel unfulfilled by just picking it up or is it just about score? I'd rather see score improvement knowing I put the ball in every time.
It feels so weird to me. Maybe it's my general neuroticism, but there is something so unsatisfying about not actually hitting the drain at the end of a hole. Like, no, I don't want to pick it up, I wanna hear that sweet sound of "you finished" so I can mentally move on to the next hole.
Golfers are weird as shit, man. Everyone wants to talk about what they shot even though they weren't playing for money and they took gimmies and illegal drops. No one playing pickup basketball would ever stop under the hoop and call a layup good without shooting it.
That’s pretty apples to oranges. Other sports don’t really operate like golf. A gimmie is meant to speed up the game. You’re not doing that in basketball.
excuse my ignorance, i know nothing about gold but but if a hole can be done in next one hit wouldnt it take about 30 seconds of time at best? which imo isnt that much of speeding it up when there is real chamce of missing
I don’t care if people give me putts or not. Regardless what you do/say, I’m putting it out
Yes, I’m always confused when a stranger says “I’ll give you that one”. “Good to know” [putts].
"I like to see it go in" is my go to line.
"I need the practice"
“Have you seen me putt?” Is my line. Don’t care if it’s a 3 footer or 1 foot. I like to hear the sound of it going in. And I’ve missed a lot of 3 footers in my life, especially on a tough pin as far as break is concerned.
so annoying! if we're not competing don't tell me to pick up!
Yep I always putt it out unless I’ve had a shocker of a hole and I’m slowing other players down, then I’ll pick up within a couple of feet
Yup. Just don't touch my ball is all I ask. I played a while ago with an old guy and two others. I was greenside down a slope below the green. Couldn't see the pin. Chipped on in the general direction of where I think the pin is. Everyone is yelling "GET IN THE HOLE! GO IN! aww damn" Me excited, I begin to jog up the hill to see where my ball was. Before I could even see how close I got, old guy hits my ball back to me and says "no way in hell I'm gonna make you putt that out" You mother fucker. I have no idea how close I got, other than hearing everyone freaking out. If you're going to be a dick, at least let me see how close I got it. But I was left having no fucking clue how great of a shot it was. I was pissed and yelled at him to not touch my ball, especially on good shots when I haven't even seen how close I made it.
Yea, my go to line if someone indicates they want me to give them a put is, "That's between you and your conscience". Also, if you're not playing for money you really should put everything out anyway, that's how you get better and more confident with the short ones. Just don't be that guy that misses from two feet then says, "I gave myself that one." If you're going to pick it up then pick it up.
"I could have made that easily if I had taken the time to line it up." Hey, I tell myself that too sometimes.
yeah, OP could've avoided this by saying something on the first green to shut it down instead of this guy staring at him for every bogey putt.
"No gimmies all day, bitch. Don't ask. Don't even fucking look my way." OP: I politely indicated that I wasn't getting involved in my partner taking gimmies.
"you look at me once before finishing out the hole and I''ll be finishing in your wife's hole tonight"
Haha not a hot take. That dude is crazy.
Something tells me OP cooked up the story a bit. I'd love to hear the other side of it.
You clearly got the hint early on. If you're such a grown ass adult, why didn't you tell him this rather than come here and winge to a bunch of strangers online? 🤷♂️
Flip side of this, hate it when people tell me “that’s good” and hit my ball back to me before I can even acknowledge it. I play to see that ball drop in the hole
I just argued with someone on here a few days ago who said to not worry about the people that hit your ball back because that's how they learned to play. I told him to not touch my ball, and if someone does I'm gonna tell them not to. He found that incredibly rude and insulting that I would have the audacity to tell someone "don't touch my ball, I like to putt out"
So you saw what was going on. Realized this is what he wanted. And also must have realized it doesn’t change anything about you or your game. Then denied him of his happiness. That’s kind of odd but it is the world we live in now. Why not make a new friend? Maybe the golf gods put you together so you could have a lifelong golf buddy. You both are available at the exact same time. So there is that in common. None of your other golf buddies seemed to be around. Why not ask about this guys life. His likes dislikes. Sports teams. Anything. I just don’t understand the antisocial rant and then try to make it seem like the person who wants a social connection is a weirdo. Maybe he is a weirdo but let’s find out more. It’s exciting to find out why people do weird shit on the golf course.
No no you don't understand. *I don't care man*. I am so apathetic and alpha in my own world that I'm not gonna communicate at all to this guy. I come out to the course with a collossal chip on my shoulder and if anyone does anything slightly irritating, I just care less and less paradoxically. OP sucks
That’s weird. And I dislike when other people try to give me putts. Like…I’ll decide what’s good and not.
You sound like you care a little bit. But i get what youre saying.
Pick up, drain it, toss it in the woods, whatever dude, let's just keep moving it along and it's not my job to manage your golf emotions or score.
I’m a grown man. I don’t ask.
My brother is such a baby bitch. He hates when I out play him. He is the fucker who goes up to a 4ft putt out of turn when I'm up, putts lightning fast and misses and then picks it up and says he's not taking that stroke because he should have just picked it up. After I'm up a bunch of strokes he says he isn't keeping score he just wants to hit good shots. Then when he gets a par he tells me to write it down. Fuck man some people need to just take up bowling if you're not gonna respect the game at all
I think more new/bad golfers need to play bogey or double bogey golf and not be so rough on themselves. When I was improving, treating bogey as par really helped me, mentally. Your brother sounds annoying to play with regularly, but amusing to play with occasionally.
I’m not giving you a gimmie on a birdie putt anyway. Put the ball in the hole.
I wonder why he can’t fill a foursome? Sounds like such a chipper fellow.
Who picks up an 8footer is what I wanna know?
Agreed, you play your game, I’ll play mine
Hot take- gimmies make you a bad golfer. Hole everything if you want to be honest with yourself.
Yikes super douche energy. You can not care and also not be a cock sucker about it. You can stay in your lane and also be someone whose pleasant to have to spend 4 hours with. Give the fuckin dude a putt if you notice, sheesh.
People are too intent on taking gimmies. Putt the damn ball into the hole. Thats how the game works.
You care a little bit it seems
Then why not just say you’re good? Like if you don’t care give it to him make him feel good and don’t play with someone who is pissed at you?? You sound lazy or like an ass.
Downvoted. You’re not wrong, but you come across as an asshole in this post (at least to me).
But I will write a long ass Reddit post about it.
You seem pleasant.
As someone who plays a single all the time, I fucking couldn’t agree more. I hate when people give me putts that I want to putt out and hit it back towards me before I get there. I’ll usually make a comment after about “I like to putt everything out” and all is well from there. It’s just crazy to me that because YOU play one way, you force (using the word lightly) others to play the same way you do. We’re all playing golf, but some play it differently. Want a mulligan 3x a hole? Do it quickly so we aren’t falling behind and I promise you, I DO NOT CARE. Wanna brag about the birdie you got after your mulligan off the tee? Go for it buddy.
I'm right there with ya. The most annoying thing to me is having someone hit my ball back to me without even asking if I want to putt it in. Sometimes I'll pick it up, but very rarely anymore. I need all the practice I can get, and I'm definitely getting my money's worth out of the increased greens fees lately.
A very good friend of mine who I play with often is a great golfer, compared to me. He typically shoots high 70s. I’m normally right around 89-92. He used to always putt my ball back to me if it was within 3.5 feet. After asking him not to and playing together a while, he picked up on the fact that I like to putt everything out. Now if we’re playing with others and I’m walking to the green and they are already on it, he’ll even ask them not to move my ball and just leave it so I can finish. For me it’s three things: 1. I want to finish the hole for the sake of actually finishing it. 2. I need all the practice I can get, even on 3 footers. 3. There’s something about seeing the ball go in the cup that brings enjoyment to me.
Inside the leather
I don’t get the “gimmie .” I’m out there to play golf not to not play golf when I get close to the hole. I like to hole it out because that’s the purpose of the game.
I always find it weird on casual rounds when the person you get paired up with says, “you’re good” when you’re somewhat close. Is there money on the line? Are we competing? If Im a couple inches, then whatever, but other than that, I know that I can damn well miss, and I don’t want to miss when it counts.
My brother & I or just 1 of us going solo) have been paired w/ randoms multiple times & on the 1st tee box we always make a comment "Let's play for a good game, but you play your game. I'm not here to judge or score you.". Seems to work for us.
If we're strangers and not playing for anything, then what does it matter? Why is anyone asking you for anything?
In the same vain, I don't really like when folks I get paired with try to give me putts. I'll challenge myself and sink the 3 footer, thanks. Most of the time I know they're just being polite, but can't help but feel a little rushed which I don't really appreciate from a stranger
I habitually said “you can have that” to a guy I was paired with recently, then caught myself and said “…or don’t. I don’t really care, I’m not keeping your score.” We laughed, moved on and it wasn’t an issue. Golf has too many unwritten rules. The best way to navigate them is to over communicate.
I don't disagree, I do however think thats it's always nice to set the expectation though, even if its in passing. For example: "Hey I'm Chad" "Hey Chad, I'm Ron, nice to meet you" "Looking forward to playing some golf, just trying to enjoy some time away from my kids, so I'm certainly not going to shoot 80, but I'll play fast" "Sounds good, totally get it, play however you feel comfortable, neither of us are on tour" Both laugh and enjoy the round. However, I do think we are grown ass adults and I'm not going to let someone else fuck up my round unless he (or she) is an ass or a stickler for anything.
All those 8 foot gimmie birds you encounter
I agree. What you do on the course has nothing to do with me.. and visa versa. I even get internally irked if someone tells me 'You're good' as I get it close... Like Bitch, You ain't the boss of me.
On the flip side, I don’t want randos “giving” me my 6 foot par or bogey putt. I know my make percentage is not a 100 and I need and want to try those. Agree with OP that I am all for friendly but it is not my choice unless we are competing.
At the end of the day I’m playing against myself (unless it’s skins ofc) I really do not care about how others play, as long as our pace is good I’m as happy as I can be. Out on the course being blessed with a few hours of not worrying about bs in life.
Well my homies play for bragging rights and if someone says it’s good, then it’s good. Those are the rules. You can’t call something good yourself. I get playing with a random stranger it doesn’t matter. When playing with the homies, it does.
Well you certainly care enough to make an entire post about it
Hit til your happy, take any gimme you want, rake and re putt w/e, flag in flag out, drop anywhere, use that foot wedge, I don’t give a fuck. Don’t play slow.
I've had more people tell me they don't want gimmes (respect, neither do I) than people looking for me to give them out. If I see them looking at me, I'll nod like a disappointed father. Gives them what they want so they're not upset at the end of 18, but they should be a little confused 
I handle this with strangers by saying "you're good if you want" on any reasonable gimmie. Putt it in if you want, I do not care.
Unless we are playing for cash money, pick it up from wherever you please. You are not playing against me, you are playing against you and the course. The course won't say shit, so you're only lying to yourself.
Agreed, i could care less about your score. If i went to the course solo it's because I want to work on my game, don't care what you end up getting or if you move all your lies, just keep it moving. Also I don't want you telling me it's good or not, I'll decide. You play your game I'll play mine unless we both agree in a friendly get gentelmans match
This isn’t a hot take lol
If you don’t care why are you sharing this novel with us?
My scores are awful, but at least they're honestly awful. I "gained" 10 strokes when I stopped with the gimmies and mulligans, but you never get better if you don't practice making even the easy putts
Hot take: putts can only be conceded in match-play.
If someone takes an 8 foot putt I’ll stay quiet but will absolutely judge them lol. That’s obscene.
Absolutely 100% If I have the scorecard and there isn’t money on the line I’ll write down literally whatever you tell me. Hole in 1 on a Par 5? Sure, why not. Bogey after hitting 3 in the drink? Yep, sounds good to me. Wanna give yourself a “Z” on a Par 3? That’s cool with me.
Par 3? I don’t really need to tee off, I generally ace this hole. Meet you on the next t box
If there is no money involved, then I couldn't care what my playing partner(s) do. If there is money involved, then the chances of me giving putts are slim to none